13 Signs You are Deficient in Magnesium…and How To Fix It

Every
organ in your body, and especially your muscles and heart, needs magnesium to
function properly. In fact, magnesium is involved in more than 300 biochemical
processes. That’s a pretty tall order, so you definitely want to be sure you
are getting all you require. But there’s a good chance you are actually
deficient in magnesium.

Why do I
say that? Because up to 75 percent of Americans don’t even meet the minimum daily requirement for this mineral, which is 310
to 320 milligrams for women and 400 to 420 milligrams for men. Since only 1
percent of the magnesium in your body is found in your bloodstream, getting a
blood test is not a good way to determine if you have insufficient levels.

The
reason why most people are deficient in magnesium has a great deal to do with
diet. Even if you eat lots of foods rich in this mineral (e.g., dark leafy
greens, whole grains, nuts, bananas, beans, dried fruit, avocados), you can be excreting much of the
mineral if you also eat refined sugar, caffeinated beverages, soft drinks,
and/or alcohol.

Other
reasons you could be deficient in magnesium include older age (absorption
declines with age), use of certain medications (e.g., diuretics, antacids,
insulin, corticosteroids, certain antibiotics), and gastrointestinal disorders
such as Crohn’s disease or leaky gut.

Signs you are deficient in magnesium

I’ve
already given you a hint concerning how you can correct a magnesium deficiency,
but what are the signs of one? That list can be quite extensive, but the more
common signs are listed below. The first six are those typically seen during
the early stages while the latter seven are associated with an ongoing
deficiency.

If you
suspect you may be deficient, you can ask your doctor for a magnesium test. The serum magnesium blood test is the most common
but is not accurate. Instead, ask your doctor for a RBC magnesium test, which
can measure the amount of magnesium in our cells. Two other tests that are even
more accurate than the RBC are the ionized magnesium test and the EXA. It is
difficult to find doctors and labs that can perform either of the latter two
tests, but it is worth asking.

Magnesium Supplements

In
addition to eating more foods rich in magnesium and limiting or avoiding
refined sugar, soft drinks, caffeinated beverages, and alcohol, you also could
take a magnesium supplement. Because magnesium must be bound to other
substances in order for you to reap the mineral’s benefits, you will see names
such as magnesium citrate, magnesium oxide, and magnesium glycinate, among
others, on supplement labels.

When
choosing a magnesium supplement, Andrew Weil, MD recommends magnesium citrate, chelate, and
glycinate.It is important to note that magnesium oxide is not well absorbed and can cause loose stools.

No
nutrients work solo, and this is also true of magnesium. You should balance
your intake of magnesium with calcium (a 1:1 ratio), vitamin K2, and vitamin D. All four of these nutrients work together.

Take a
personal inventory and weigh the possibility that you are magnesium deficient.
Then take steps to correct it by changing your diet, considering a supplement,
and discussing your plans with a knowledgeable health professional.